The present invention relates to a ring shield for positioning an accessory within binder rings and the like, and more particularly, a ring shield which positions an accessory having a variety of forms in a convenient position while maximizing the allowed space for loose-leaf sheets within the binder rings.
Binder metal or ring metal is a generic name for a paper holding device by which hole-punched sheets of paper are stored in a ring binder. The metal typically consists of two or more binder rings each of which is formed by two ring sections which are movable apart and together to open and close the binder, a mechanism operable by the user to open and close the rings, and a metal cover or shield which covers the mechanism. The shield comprises an elongated piece of metal or plastic whose length generally corresponds to the length of the binder and the size of the sheets of paper stored in the binder, and whose width generally corresponds to the width of a spine section of the binder (the portion of the binder between the end leaves of the binder).
Conventional ring binders employ pockets or sheets that include attachments to hold accessories such as writing implements. The pockets/sheets use a flap in which holes are punched, wherein the binder rings hold the pockets/sheets in the same manner as the loose-leaf paper. Heretofore, conventional ring binders incorporate separate attachments for accessories that result in unwieldy use since the user must flip back and forth between the attachment and the loose-leaf papers. Other conventional ring binders employ accessory attachments fixed to the shield. These attachments, however, incorporate much of the space within the binder rings. As such, the efficiency of the ring binder is reduced since the binder cannot hold the designed amount of loose-leaf paper.